From the Twin Ports to the Twin Cities Volume 2; BNSF's Hinckley Sub 2005 (BNSF, UP, CP)

C. Vision Productions returns to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe's Hinckley Subdivision! We last visited this line in 1998. Several things have changed since our last video and in late 2005, we decided to revisit this fascinating line in all four seasons!
Beginning at Coon Creek Junction in Coon Rapids, Minnesota we tour the line northward to Superior, Wisconsin. You will see coal trains now operating in distributive power mode. Additional BNSF taconite trains pound the rails along with many general freights, grain and potash trains. More Heritage paint schemes appear, including BNSF's newest scheme introduced in 2005! Motive power varies from the traditional SD40-2's and Dash9-44's to the new ES-44AC and DC locomotives. What hasn't changed is the variety of traffic from trackage rights trains from the Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific. The scenery on the northern part of the line is still as stunning as before, including the high trestle over the Kettle River near Sandstone, the Net River at Holyoke and the Black River and Nemadji River Bridges south of Superior.
Canadian National trains ceased operations on the Hinckley Sub in August of 1998. However, CN locomotives started making an appearance again in late 2005 as they pooled interchange operations with the Union Pacific. A few fallen flag locomotives are still seen including Soo Line, Burlington Northern, Santa Fe and Southern Pacific!
From the bustling metropolis of the Twin Cities to the vast scenery of the north woods, you won't want to miss this show. Two hours of exciting railroad action from the Twin Ports to the Twin Cities!

[@BNSF1458]

Unbelievable how much the power, and even locations have changed in such a short amount of time.

[@SPRailfan4449]

Wow! Nice to see you pop out of nowhere in this comment section! I really enjoy your content. ❤️👍😎

[@Seaboardsystem-t7e]

I live down in coon rapids and its the same deal here nice to see how time changes things

[@kadenlangdon21109]

@@BNSF1458 I remember executives, MAC'S, and warbonnets still roaming back in 2017. I never recorded them sadly cuz I didn't know they were important then even though I liked trains.

[@CVisionProductions1]

It sure doesn't take long for things to change. In fact, I know the vegetation at Mora Junction and the bridge at Holyoke are now covered in trees.

[@Seaboardsystem-t7e]

@@CVisionProductions1 along with that most of the vegetation at coon Creek Junction has been cut back and a lot the signage as well as some of the signals have been replaced or removed

[@SPRailfan4449]

This is an awesome time in railroading! It’s so colorful with old pre-merge paint schemes and new schemes all over the place! Awesome documentary again by Cvision Productions! ❤️👏😎

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you so much! Up until 2009 or so, it was quite the show on BNSF.

[@SPRailfan4449]

@@CVisionProductions1 No problem and yes 2000’s BNSF was pretty fun to Railfan it seems. 👍

[@MinnesotaRailProductions]

This is amazing some of these trains I’ve seen in present time . Great video

[@kadenlangdon21109]

Yessir

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yeah, some things change, and some don't. Thank you!

[@ahtrains]

Very nice video. I still visit this line regularly. Just so cool to see the evolution of how much has chance from 2005 to current day, mostly the tree growth, Brook Park overpass being the prime example, and the siding is often occupied with stored cars these days.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Very true. That, and the bridge in Holyoke. The traffic count is way down too with the decline of coal and taconite. It's pretty sad....

[@stephenspilker9334]

nice video. been on this route behind the 261 a couple of times, it's fun going through the little towns along the way. i wish amtrak would bring this route back again.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you! It is actually in the works for Amtrak to come back running from St. Paul to Duluth. We will see.

[@minnesotarailfan12]

Man, I wish I was around to remember this.

[@Nicola636128]

Another outstanding video in the best years of BNSF and UP!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you!!!

[@ryanfrogz]

What’s really amazing is that some of those Clinchfield hoppers (seen around the 13:43 mark) are still in active service, hauling limestone from Superior to the Red River Valley via Minneapolis. I see them waiting in Northtown Yard quite frequently, but can’t ever catch one on a train.

[@CVisionProductions1]

It is amazing. I see them once in a while on the Grand Forks trains. Not as much as the past few years, but still once in a while.

[@millennialtrainman3443]

Oh BTW, I caught NTWSUP tonight around 7:30 PM. BNSF gevo leader followed by a EXEC MAC. That could mean it will possibly lead on the next SUPNTW if anyone is interested

[@CVisionProductions1]

That would be great if it did!

[@MarcelosalivaTRENESArg]

Fantatic Fantatic my friends 😊

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you!!!

[@kadenlangdon21109]

H4 looks sooo weird in an early 2000s video.

[@cowboyhatrailfan2005]

FACTS

[@CVisionProductions1]

It sure does. Hard to believe that the H4 scheme came out in 2005.

[@texastrainfan56]

Another wonderful video! Do yall happen to have any footage of Southern Pacific's 2 US Lines Intermodal trains? They would be coming from or going to Okaland, CA at USL Port there years are 1980s till USL went bankrupt and APL took over the trains. One of them was the OAUSD

[@texastrainfan56]

I believe Union Pacific even ran some Intermodal trains for them as well

[@CVisionProductions1]

I wish we did, but unfortunately not.

[@mjrodriguez8670]

This ex-Great Northern line has THREE Class One carriers on it! Why did BN buy a SOO Line bridge?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yes, goes back to trackage rights from predecessors. SOO (CP), CNW (UP). And prior to 1998, CN trains ran under a haulage agreement with BNSF crews. BN bought the Soo bridge because it was in better shape with better footing than their bridge.